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What is the WECARE Study?

The WECARE Study is a large international multi-center, population-based case-control study nested within a cohort of over 52,500 female breast cancer survivors. In this study, 708 women with asynchronous contralateral breast cancer (CBC) serve as cases, and 1397 women with unilateral breast cancer (UBC), individually matched to the cases on age, diagnosis date, latency, and race serve as controls. All participants were recruited through 5 population-based registries in the US and Denmark. Using a multi-faceted approach, this international study examines the interaction of radiation exposure and genetic predisposition in breast cancer, especially radiation-induced contralateral breast cancer (CBC). Currently, we are carrying out studies of: candidate genes BRCA1, BRCA2, CHEK2, and ATM; candidate gene pathways of DNA damage response involved in radiation-induced double strand break repair—ATM, CHEK2, P53 binding protein (53BPI), and MDC1, Mre11, Rad50, and Nbs1 (e.g., MRN nuclease complex); function and mechanism studies of the ATM gene; pharmacogenetics of key drug metabolizing genes; and statistical methods for estimating the cancer risk of rare genetic variants. The global hypothesis across these studies is that women who carry certain types of mutations will be more susceptible to radiogenic breast cancer than non-carriers. The most recent expansion, the WECARE:GWAS Study, was funded to conduct the first multi-stage genome-wide association (GWA) studies of bilateral breast cancer with a built in replication population. We have already completed the genotyping to discover novel common SNPs associated with CBC and radiation exposure. For validation, we are currently in the field recruiting an additional 800 CBC cases and 800 UBC controls from the US, Denmark, and Canada. Various replication and fine-mapping phases are planned as well.

Who Is Conducting this Study?

This study involves a large international group of scientists, with significant experience in specialties such as molecular genetics, radiation epidemiology/dosimetry and quantitative epidemiologic methods. Collaborating sites include: